Motor development in the third year of life

Movement and creativity

Games and activities

In their third year, your child makes significant strides in motor development, which can be supported through games and activities. Fine motor skills improve through activities like grasping small objects or drawing with crayons, while we as parents can encourage development through games like shape sorting or finger painting. Gross motor skills such as climbing, hopping, and jumping are further developed, and playing with balls improves hand-eye coordination. Your child consolidates everyday actions such as dressing and undressing, which require fine motor skills and concentration, and we as parents can support them by choosing clothes with large buttons and helping them learn the steps.

Off to the playground!

Your child will further develop their gross motor skills by using sliding on playgrounds to improve their motor coordination and overcome fears. Balancing helps control posture and strengthen muscles, while climbing builds confidence. Hopping and jumping promote endurance, coordination, and balance. Through these activities, your child not only explores their physical abilities but also their surroundings in a playful way.

Watch out!!!

Now your child is also beginning to learn complex movements like throwing and catching balls, which further improves their hand-eye coordination and motor skills. We can support this development by giving our children opportunities to play with different balls and encouraging them to try different movements. These activities not only promote physical development but also build our children's confidence and social skills as they interact and play with others.

Be creative

Your little one can also further develop their fine motor skills through activities such as crafts, assembling puzzles, and painting with different materials such as brushes, sponges, or fingers. These creative activities not only promote fine motor skills but also cognitive development and stimulate their imaginations. As parents, we should encourage our children to explore different materials and implement their own creative ideas to further improve their motor skills in a playful way.

Three game ideas that promote the motor development of children aged 3 and over

1. Obstacle course:

Set up an obstacle course indoors or outdoors that requires various motor skills such as climbing, balancing, jumping, and crawling. Use pillows to bounce on, chairs to crawl under, a rope to balance on, and other objects for your child to negotiate. This game promotes children's gross motor skills, coordination, and endurance in a fun way.

2. Colored circles:

Draw different colored circles on the floor with chalk or lay colored paper circles on the floor. Then give your child instructions like "Jump to the red circle" or "Crawl to the blue circle." This game allows them to practice color recognition, improve gross motor skills, and train their reaction time.

3. Dance party:

Organize a dance party and let the children dance to their favorite music. They can jump around, spin, clap, and move to the rhythm. Dancing develops children's gross motor skills, coordination, and endurance while being a lot of fun. You can also incorporate various dance games, such as imitating animals or dancing to specific movement instructions, to add variety to the activity.

Overall, the third year of life is another exciting milestone in your child's motor development. Through targeted games and activities, you can promote your child's fine and gross motor skills and support them on their path to a healthy and active lifestyle.